Rumor: Could This Be The HTC One (M9) Front Screen?

We’re still in the final few weeks of 2015 and we’re now seeing rumors coming thick and fast about the next HTC One (and for that matter, many new handsets of course). If I can call it such a thing, the most concrete rumor is based around the HTC “Hima,” the code name for the One, which we speculate will be the M9. I recently covered a new set of rumored specifications, which feel legitimate based on how HTC typically evolve their devices and now we’re seeing what is purported to be the front glass from the M9. The source website claims that the screen is 5.2-inch in size, so it’s a little bigger than the current HTC One’s 5.0-inch display. The device size may be about the same, depending on the size of the bezels: HTC are now able to make BoomSound speakers occupy much less space on the device now compared with earlier handsets. And it’s worth going over some of the other leaked specifications, which include a dual quad core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, which combines a quad core 2.0 GHz high performance processor with a high efficiency, quad-core 1.5 GHz processor. We also speculate that the device will have 3 GB of memory, a high performance LTE modem, a different rear camera and a slightly larger battery. We’ve seen different rumors talking about 1080p or QHD displays.

Just on the display, if HTC decide to keep the screen at the 5.0 to 5.2-inch and stick with a 1080p panel, this would be absolutely fine by me. Modern high resolution screens are also ready far sharper than my eyesight and packing more pixels into what is still a relatively small piece of technology can be something of a waste: you’re asking the processor and video hardware to shunt around many more pixels on the display, which is taxing on the battery and performance. What’s more, important to me is color and vibrancy: a very high resolution screen with dull colors doesn’t look as inviting to use compared with a less sharp but colorful display. HTC do like to break the mould in a small way and offering a 5.2-inch, 1080p display in a crowd of QHD devices may well give them an edge in battery life, performance and responsiveness.

The other thing to consider is that this glass may be from another HTC device. HTC have released several handsets and the HTC Desire Eye packs a 1080p display; it’s entirely possible that this screen is a component for another device. It could also be an elaborate hoax or from a different manufacturer! Would a 5.2-inch, 1080p display ruin the next HTC One for you? Should HTC follow the herd? Or are you not so bothered about having an insanely high-resolution display? Let us know in the comments below.